Seeking the promised land

Andrew Glazer

COSTA MESA -- Residents of unincorporated land east of the city,

producing petitions and citing Solomon and Moses, asked the City Council

on Monday not to annex them.

Many of the 15 residents in attendance said they would rather be annexed

by neighboring Newport Beach.

“Moses told the Pharaoh, ‘Let my people go,”’ said James D. Daily. “I

don’t think he said, ‘Please fill out this paperwork.”’

In response to the pleas, Mayor Gary Monahan and Councilwoman Libby Cowan

proposed holding meetings with residents from each of the four areas in

order to find a suitable arrangement.

Those meetings could be scheduled as soon as January.

Last month, the council asked city staff to study the pros and cons of

annexing the following four parcels of unincorporated land:

* The Heinz Kaiser Neighborhood, a cluster of six individual county

islands totaling nearly 55 acres.

* The Back Bay High School Neighborhood, an area between Del Mar Avenue

and Mesa Drive. The area covers about 65 acres.

* West Santa Ana Heights, an area north of Mesa Drive and east of Santa

Ana Avenue. The city of Newport Beach is attempting to annex the eastern

portion of the Santa Ana Heights neighborhood.

* The Santa Ana Country Club. The club, which has made it clear that it

wants to be part of Newport Beach and not Costa Mesa, is in the Santa Ana

Heights neighborhood.

In their report, city staff found that each of the four areas had

different criteria for annexation.

The speakers explained their desire to join Newport Beach by saying the

city has taken a stronger stand against expanding nearby John Wayne

Airport and building an airport at the former El Toro Marine Air Base.

“We need a voice,” said Robert Hanley. “And Newport Beach has been

supporting the El Toro plan for many years.”